Method of making bale-ties.



No. 703,555. *Patented July l, 1902.

F. H. DANIELS.

METHOD 0F MAKINg BALE TIES.

(Application led May 13, 1901.) (No YM odsl.)

' 3 sheets-sheet 2.

No. 703,555. Patented July i, |902.

F. H. DANIELS.

. METHOD 0F MAKING BALE TIES.

(Application iled May 13, 1901.) (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STAfrEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRED Il. DANIELS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

. METHOD OF MAKING BALE-TIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettrs'latent No. 703,555, dated July 1, 1902.v

Application filed May 13, 1901l Serial No. 60,032. (No model.)A

.T all whom it' may ce1/tecra,.- y

Beit known that I, FRED H. DANInLs, a

citizen of the United States, residing at and whose post-office address is Worcester, in the county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts,`

vView is to economize in the time and labor required in the treatment of the Wire between the time it is received from the wire manufacturer until it is discharged in the shape of completed ties from the xmachines which make the fastenings atV the ends; and the invention consists in the method hereinafter described and claimed whereby the several steps of unreeling, annealing, straightening, galvanizing when desired, cutting, and forming the end fastenings are performed continuously and in regular order without any handling of the wires whatever from the time ythey enter the annealing-furnace, whereby door-.space is economi'zed, the time required in the process is lessened, and the expense and 'labor incident to the old method are greatly reduced.

The manufacture of wire bale-ties has come to be recognized as an art of itself apart from what is generally known as the wirework` ing art. Large amounts of capital are invested in i't, and great numbers of machinists, workmen, and laborers are employed. As now practiced it requires an enormous amount of floor-space in the mill, and a great deal of time and labor is required in the mere handling of the wire and passing it vto and fro.

'The tie manufaeturer'receives the wire in and straighten it by stretching it cold. This i part of the process is particularly objectionable for the additional reason to those above stated that the `operation of annealing in coils `is never as vuniform as continuous annealing and for the further reason that straightening by stretching often weakens the wire. After thus straightening the wire it has to be transferred to the cutting-machine for cutting it up into short lengths appropriate for the par ticular kind of tie desired, and further handling is required to take the cnt wires from y this machine to the machine or machines for making the end fastenings. Apart from the injurious effect on the ties of this method of annealingand straightening the wire a great deal of time is Wasted in transferring it by hand fromthe machine where one step is performed to-that for performing the operation next in order. Moreover, each machine requiresone or more workmen to feed and tend it, and additionallaborers are required to pass the wire to and fro. My improved method does away with all these objections and apart from the incidental improvement in the quality of the ties permits a greater output with a smaller plant and Without any increase in the expense of production, or, to state the same thing in a` dierent way, enables the production of a given output with a smaller original investment for buildings and machinery and with a considerable saving in the current time, labor, and expense of putting the completed ties on the market.

The method is as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,illustrat ing in a diagrammatic way only an apparatus for carrying the same out.

Figure l is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of one part of the apparatus, showing the reels for the coils of the wire and the furnace for continuously annealing the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. la side view, of another part of the apparatus, showing the rollers for drawing the wire through the fur@ nace, the machines f'or cutting the wire into lengths, and one kind of end-fastenings machines. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus, showing an arrangement of vats, baths, and tanks employed when it is desired to galvanize the wire.

IOO

Fig. 6 is a plan view l similar to Fig. 3, but showing end-fastenngs i machines of a different type.

The end-fastenings machines shown in Fig. 23 are employed when ordinary ungalvanized ties for bales of hay, straw, tbc., are being made and are of the kind to make fastenings at both ends of the ties, preferably a loop at one end and a cross-head at the other. The corresponding machines of Fig. G are such as are usually employed when galvanized ties for cotton-bales are being made and are only intended to make a fastening (usually a twisted loop) at one end; but I wish it understood that so far as the method herein claimed is concerned the kind of end-fastenings machines employed is of no consequence, andI have therefore not' attempted to illustrate any particular construction of such machines, but have shown them in a diagrammatic or schematic way only.

Referring now to thedrawings, and particularly to the first four figures thereof, A denotes a tubular annealing-furnace of a type too well known to require any description of its construction. Secured on the mill-floor at one end of the furnace is a gang of spindles B, on which the reels of wire C as they come from the draw-benches are supported so as to revolve freely, there being, preferably, a brake of some sort (usually a spring) arranged to act against each reel, so as to keep the wires under tension. The spindles are positioned on the mill-floor in relation to one another and the furnace so that the wires yw, leading off to the tubes of the furnace, will not interfere with each other. In Fig. l there are twenty-live spindles and reels and the furnace has, preferably, a tube for each wire.

At the end of the furnace whence the wires issue there are a plurality of rollers D, arranged on any convenient supports, and these supports are preferably at the level of the annealing-tubes of the furnace, so as to keep the wires as straight as possible. These rollers should be near enough together to prevent the wires bending injuriously, and they are journaled in their supports, so as to revolve freely as the wires are drawn along them.

Beyond the rollers D and at such distance from the furnace that the wires will be materially cooled in transit is located a large drum E, preferably of wood and advisedly also provided with circumferential grooves, into which the wires from the rollers are received. The wires pass entirely around the drum, and coming up on the rear side lead forward to an arrangement F of drawingrollers comprising two pairs of small rolls a and b, that are positively driven by a beltpulley 2 on the shaft of the lower roll of the pair a.. The lower rolls of each pair are geared together so as to revolve in the same direction, and each lower roll is geared to the upper one of its pair, so that all four of the rollers are positively driven. The upper rolls are journaled in arms that are provided with adjustable weights, so as to vary the pressure of the rolls upon the wires, which pass between the upper and lower rolls of the two pairs, and the several rolls are preferably grooved, so that the strands of wire pass between them without interfering with one another. The large drum E is also positively driven, and the motion is conveniently taken from the shaft of the lower roll of the pair a by means of a chain c, the arrangement being such that the peripheral speed of the large drum and that of the drawing-roller is the same, so that there is no stretching of the wires after they leave the drum. The draw-off drum is of so large a diameter that it gives practically no set to the Wire as it is drawn around it, and consequently the wire may be said to pass from the furnace to the cutting -machine in a straightened condition.

From the drawing-roll arrangement just described the wires pass to and through cutting-machines G, there being five such machines shown in the drawings and the wires being subdivided into groups and bunches a; of live wires each, so that each cutter severs a plurality of Wires of the appropriate length for the particular kind of tie desired.

Beyond the cutters are the end-fastening machines II and I, the machines H being located a distance from the cutters just equal to the length of the ties and the machines I being located in any convenient juxtaposition to and beyond the machines first mentioned. Between these machines there runs an apron or belt J, onto which the wires are dropped by the machines II one at a time and by means of which they are delivered onto tables T in such proximity and relation to the machines I as to position them for the latter machines.

The machines II are intended to form loops in the forward ends of the ties, and the wires are passed into the hoppers of these machines in bunchesjust as they are carried to and through the cutters, though of course the individual wires have to be operated on one at a time by the looping mechanism or mechanisms of the machine, and therefore have to be dropped one at a time from the hoppers into the loopers.

'lhe machines I are intended to form whatever sort of fastenings at the other end of the ties are selected to cooperate with the loops formed by the machines I-I. Usually these are simple cross-heads; but any other fastening may be employed, and there are many machines known in the art for making them. As the ties are discharged by the machines H they drop onto the traveling carrier J,which advances them and delivers them upon the tables T in the proper position for their rear ends to be received by the machines I, to which they are fed by an attendant in the usual way.

As thus far described the apparatus is adapted only for making the commoner sort of black-wire ties that are used on bales or IIO Y pass over the rollers D on their way to the` bundles ofhay, straw, 85e. When it is desired to make cotton-ties, which are usually galvanized andare always ofgbetter quality than those first mentioned, I introduce between the furnace andthe drum of the drawing-roller arrangement any suitable galvanizing apparatus, such as shown in Fig. 5. In this figure 3 3 are wipers on the edge of stone troughs 4, which containthe acid. 5 denotes a Water-trough, through which the wires pass after leaving the acid, and 6 indicates ,an-

other acid-trough, passage through Whichcompletes the cleaning and pickling steps of the galvanizing process. After leaving the last-mentioned trough the wires pass through the zinc-kettle 7, where the molten metal is kept hot over a furnace in the usualmanner. The wires are led from this galvanizing apparatus to the drum E, as before described, and thence to the cutting-machines G, beyond which arelocated the end-fastenings machines H', which are of thev same general description this tension being due to the Weight of thev wire itself and the -normalresistances encountered in rotating the reels and passing'y the wire through the furnace as Well as to Whatever friction-brakes may be employed on the spindles. The wires are pulled through the furnace by the drum and drawing-rollers, andas they pass through the annealingtubes they are stretched and reduced in diameter and issue therefrom at a red heat, which, however, vrapidly cools o as the Wires drum E. As before intimated, this drum is located so far from the furnace that the wire, which it will be understood passes along very slowly, has ample time to set and cool before passing around the drum. vThe rollers D are necessary to support the wire between the furnace and the drum, for the reason that the wire is at that time too soft to'support itself. The wire as it passes around the drum D gets t very taut, and all kinks and crooks are then eliminated before itreachesthe rolls a, b, whence it issues perfectlyA straight and ready to be cut into lengths Without further treatment. The location of thecu'tters G, so far Yas distance from the rolls is concerned, is a matter of no particular importance, and they may be located as the available floor-space may require orpermit.

As before stated, the wires are separated into bundles and groups after leaving the ming.

drawing-rollers, so that eachcutterA severs a number of vwires atV each stroke. |In Figs. 3 and 4 there are iive cutters shown, and of coursefive machines for making the end fastenings are employed with this arrangement.

Any number of cutters, however,may be used,

andin Fig. 6 six are shown, togetherwith the same number of end-fastenings machines.

From the drawing-rolls the wires pass clear through the cutters until A.their front ends 5 bring up in the machines H, when the cutters are actuated and the strandsare cutthe proper length and left with their front ends in the receivers or hoppers of said machines,

where they accumulate` and, as in all machines of the sort, are dropped one at a time into the looping, twisting, or whatever other mechanism is employed to form the end fastenings. As fast as these fastenings are made the ties are discharged onto the continuouslymoving apron or belt J, whence they are carried to and pass the machines I, so .that said machines may operate. on their rear ends. The aprons are so arranged with relation to the tablesT and these latter are solocated A relatively to the machinesI thatwhen the ties are discharged by the aprons they are deposited on the tables in position to havetheir rear ends received into thehoppers ofthese machines Without furthermovement or han- As already eXplainedthe invention is'not limited tov the employment o f any particular `machines formaking the end fastenings on vthe ties. I prefer, however, to employ the machines heretofore patented to me and Clinton S. Marshall jointly onthe 3d day of July, 1900, Nos. 652,953 and652,998andthe machine H of the third and fourthflgures may be .understood to be the machine of Patent No. 652,953, andthe machine'H'. of Fig..6 may `likewise be understood to bethevmachine of Patent No. 652,998.` Any sort of an end-fas- Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In the art of making wire ties' for bales of hay, cotton, and the like, theh'erein-described improvement consisting in continuously passing the wire through an annealingfurnace as it is unwound from the coils, drawing it under tension through said-furnance so as to stretch and straighten it while hot, main- .taining it in straightened condition and allowing it to set and cool in-transit thence to a cutting-machine, cutting it into, lengths appropriate to the particular kindfoftie required,'and delivering it withouthandling to the end-fastenings machine.

2. In the art of making wire ties for bales of l1ay,icotton,and the like, lthe herein-described improvementconsisting in continuously passing a series of wires concurrently and simultaneously through an annealingfurnace as they are unwound from their coils, drawing the wires under tension through said IOS " I IO tenings machine may be used at the point I.-

furnace so as to stretch and straighten them while hot, maintaining them in straightened condition and allowing them to set and cool in transit thence to a cutting-machine, simultaneously cutting a plurality of the Wires into a. bunch or bunches of the appropriate length for the particular kind of tie required, delivering the bunch or bunches to a machine or machines for forming the end fastenings, and forming said fastenings on the ties one at a time.

3. In the art of making wire ties for bales of hay, cotton, and the like, the herein-described improvement consisting in simultaneously and continuously passing a series of wires through an annealing-furnace as they are unwound from their coils, drawing the Wires under tension through said furnace so as to stretch and straighten them while hot, maintaining said wires in straightened condition and allowing them to set and cool in transit, dividing the series into bunches and conducting each bunch to a separate cuttingmachine, simultaneously cutting the wires of each bunch into lengths appropriate to the particular kind of tie required, and delivering said bunches without handling to separate end-fastenings machines.

4. In the art of making Wire ties for bales of hay, cotton, and the like, the herein-described improvement consisting in continuously passing the wire through an annealingfurnace, drawing it under tension through said furnace so as to stretch and straighten it while hot, galvanizing the wire while passing between the furnace and the drawing apparatus, allowingit to set and cool in transit thence to a cutting-machine, cutting it into lengths appropriate to the particular kind of tie required, and delivering it without handling to the end-fastenings machine.

5. In the art of making Wire ties for bales of hay, cotton, and the like, the herein-described improvement consisting in continuously passing the wire through an annealingfurnace as it is unwound from the coils, drawing it under tension through said furnace so as to stretch and straighten it while hot, maintaining it in straightened condition and allowing it to set and cool in transit thence to a machine for making a fastening on the front end, cutting the wire at a point suiiiciently removed from the machine to make ties of the desired length, passing the cut lengths endwise from said machine to and past another end-fastenings machine, and forming a fastening on the rear end of the wire to coperate with the one previously formed on the front end.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED II. DANIELS.

Witnesses:

DANIEL N. BATES, WILLIAM H. MORSE. 

